Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Martin.
Hi Alyssa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m the owner of Lou Mar & Co. and I make candles. Starting a candle business wasn’t the original plan. When I was younger, I was addicted to drugs and lost my career as a hairstylist. After I got sober, I started working a job where part of my responsibilities was tending to all the candles they had burning.
I would light the candles in the morning, extinguish them at night and toss out the empty containers, after a while it felt so wasteful so I started taking the containers home at the end of my shifts. I’ve always loved candles and everything about them, how the flickering flame and fragrances warm a room and how just lighting one candle makes a huge difference in my mood. So with the used jars I collected from work I started making my own candles and immediately loved it. Making candles was never intended to be anything more than a hobby but, in September of 2018, I could no longer work due to an illness and was placed on State Disability.
At the time, I was afraid I would never be able to hold a real job again, and I didn’t know what career path to follow. When the holidays came I couldn’t afford to buy gifts, so I made candles. People loved my candles and asked for more so I started selling them. That was just before the Pandemic. I hadn’t planned on making candles a full time job but I couldn’t see any other option. I had just gotten off of State Disability and didn’t have any other way of making money but, I had to do something. I qualified for unemployment so I used that money to purchase candle supplies and started my business. Don’t get me wrong, it was not easy, and filled with many, many mental breakdowns. It seemed like everyday held new challenges and I thought I was losing my mind (Actually, I might have). I don’t know what I would have done if it weren’t for the friends and family who supported me through it. It’s been a long and bumpy road but now I have a career that I’m completely in love with and absolutely adore. I feel so lucky that I get to do something I really enjoy for a living, and as a perk my house always smells good.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a very bumpy road with many obstacles but completely worth it. I failed so many times, and made so many mistakes, but that’s how I learn and grow. It’s still not an entirely smooth road, there are a lot of challenges and I still struggle but I try to be kind and patient with myself, everything I’ve done in this business I’ve taught myself so I try not to hold on to mistakes. I learn the lesson, move on, and I just try my best.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The candles I make are hand-poured, natural, vegan and non-toxic. The PURE collection is specifically for sensitive people, made with 100% pure essential oils. The PURE collection is comprised of Thieves Oil, which is a popular essential oil blend but I make my own version of it, and Venomous, which is a citrusy, earthy blend I created (don’t worry- there’s no actual venom in it) and Eros, an aphrodisiac essential oil blend. I also have fragranced candles using clean burning fragrance oil such as Sandalwood + Rosemary Sage and Black Currant + Cherry Blossom. I try to push boundaries and blend together scents that would normally not mix or you wouldn’t see at target. All of the little drawings on my labels, website and social media are my own, which has been fun to play around with and I’m always working on new designs. I get to retail my candles at two amazing shops here in LA; Stories Books & Cafe in Echo Park and A. Bohemia & the Wolves in Highland Park. These women have really helped me grow, I can’t tell you how much that means to me. My business is still very tiny, but it’s growing and I’m so grateful for it.
How do you think about happiness?
Sometimes it’s hard to be happy, especially right now. I think about happiness as a goal I can work toward when doing the things that make me feel good, like making candles. I am happiest when I can be present and live in gratitude, which I feel like is where I’m at in life now.
Pricing:
- Use code: voyagela for 10% off any regular priced item
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.skiptomyloumar.com
- Instagram: @loumar_co
Image Credits
Grace Pickering
